Kaikoura to Picton

The Journey from the Coast of Kaikoura to the Sounds (Bays) Surrounding Beautiful Picton.

The road from Kaikoura to Picton is filled with many wonderful sights that you can enjoy while you are on your long journey. It is full of beautiful scenery that is breath taking and will stay with you for a life time. When you plan on taking in this trip you should allow yourself plenty of time to enjoy the wonders that Kaikoura has to offer.


Kaikoura

Kaikoura the little settlement by the Pacific Ocean is full of natural wonders. You can see the deep blue waters of the ocean or turn your head skyward and see the snow-capped mountains of the Kaikoura Mountain Ranges. The snow-capped mountains are there for you to see for many months out of the year only adding to wonderment of Kaikoura. The trips to go see the Dolphins do their aerobics is awesome, you can join in with them if you like. The Dolphins of Kaikoura are very friendly and they like to perform for people but they also enjoy it when you join them.

The adventures of scuba diving in the blue Pacific are a wonder to behold when you get to see all the things that live in the ocean. Perhaps you want to go and watch the sperm whales. These creatures are usually there all year round. There are other different species of whales that come to Kaikoura in different seasons but whenever you go you must visit these large mammals.  The Cafe Encounter offers you delicious homemade foods, superb beer and wines, and excellent view on their outdoor patio.  These are just some of the sights that you can enjoy before you leave Kaikoura.


When you leave Kaikoura on your road to Picton

You will find that after about five miles of traveling you will reach the Hapuku River Bridge, taking the road farther will guide you all along the coastal region. This is a great adventure as you watch surfers in the water of Mangamaunu Beach. This is a very dangerous stretch of water where only the experienced surfers dare to venture. After you have relaxed for a while and enjoyed the surfing you will want to travel on a bit farther to where you can see the seals which are located at Ohau Point Colony.  There is a place to park where you can set and watch the seals or you can walk down the graded steps for a much closer view.

While you are on your journey you will next come to the Ohau Falls which are a beauty in themselves to see. This road keeps going until you come to the bay and a few settlements where you may enjoy a feast of crayfish from one of the inhabitant’s roadside stands. When you are about forty miles away from Kaikoura you will run into the settlement of Clarence. The Clarence River is between the two mountains and you are able to see many sheep in the Clarence Valley where settlers live. Sheep farming is one of the major sources of income for that settlement. The settlement was originally built for the building of a railway along the coast.


Final Journal to Picton

Your journey’s adventures are just beginning to start as you got another twenty-two miles of a straight stretch of road that has sand dunes and on a clear day you can see the North Island that is clear across the water. Then you shall arrive in Kekerengu where you will most certainly take a break and enjoy a meal at a most attractive restaurant. The Store as it is called has won the Casio Award for the best restaurant in Marlborough. There you will eat fine food that is made for you on an individual basis and enjoy home baked goods. The coffee is hand ground making this one of the finest restaurants in the area. After you have had a relaxing meal then you will most certainly want to visit the Winterhome Garden which is just opposite of The Store. The Winterhome Gardens has beautiful roses and the view of the Pacific Ocean is magnificent when you are viewing it from the Avocado Orchard.

The next little settlement is named the Ward after the RT Hon Sir Joseph Ward the Prime Minister of New Zealand. Then you will keep traveling along the shore until you come to the rest area of Lake Elterwater. After that you will be able to view Grasmere Salt works where seawater is evaporated from wide shallow ponds.  Your journey will only get better as you get to Awatere Bridge where you are able to see the view from the bridge of Mount Tapuaenuku which is the highest point in the Kaikoura ranges.  There you will be able to see many vineyards where Marlborough in New Zealand produces the biggest wine-producing area.

You will have about fifteen more miles remaining on your journey where you will find two historic cottages. Then you will also find a museum beside the road near Blenheim. Afterwards you will drive over Dashwood Pass so that once again you can see the sea over Cloudy Bay. You will go from Bienheim to Picton from that point within about half an hour time period. This is where you will find that you are now in the town of Picton. Picton is a settlement that caters more to the transport industry, for families who like to farm live in the Sounds, and those involved in tourism that live in the city.